Closure operator



Aug. 16, M38.

F. A. PURDY CLOSURE OPERATOR Filed June 17, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet l 49 151HE E i j E E Aug, 16,, W38. F A, P DY 2,127,376

CLOSURE OPERATOR Filed June 17, 1935 2 Sheets-sheaf 2 Patented Aug. 16,1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 17 Claims.

A preferred form of the invention is illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure l is a general perspective view of a garagedoorway, showing my invention as installed, including the overheadmechanism and connections to doors; the door-latches and con trol; theweight-bracket attached to wall supporting weights connected by cablesto the overhead mechanism; and the contact-unit in the runway with acable-connection extending through a pipe into the garage to theoverhead mechanism;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the contactunit, showing the internalarrangement, the diaphragm top, and the water-proof design;

Figure 3 is a perspective view from above of the rear end ofthe overheadmechanism;

Figure 4 is a perspective view from above of the overhead mechanism; and

Figure 5 is a view of an air-cylinder piston.

Each character of reference represents the same part in all drawings inwhich it appears.

To indicate the similarity of functions in the widely different designs,the design in this appli- 40 cation, and that in my application filedDecember 14, 1928 above referred to, characters of reference have beenused herein for certain significant parts as far as practical the sameas in the preceding application referred to for parts 45 havingsubstantially similar functions.

General outline superficially, the device consists of a contactunit i,set in concrete outside the garage in the path of the vehicle, includinga depressible member I3, adapted, with transmitting parts to apply apull on a cable I09 extending into the garage through a pipe or hoseIll]; two weights 9!] and 9| at the garage-wall suspended by cables on55 sheave-wheels on bracket 49, these weights constitutingenergy-storing or inherently energized motive-means, one fordoor-opening and the other for door-closing; an overhead mechanism 2,set at right angles to the doorway, having a track longitudinallytherein on which yoke and shuttle members, connected by cables to theweights, slide to move the doors, the doors being connected to the yokeby drive-arms 21; having two air-cushion dash-pots, one at each end ofthe track as cushioning means to yieldingly terminate the opening andclosing movements of doors, the rearward air-cylinder constituting alsoa time-delay means to delay the start of doorclosing action; having aclutching member 44 for connecting the door-closing weight to the yoke,and means for disengaging same and for other control; having latches forthe yoke and shuttle; and having springs, suitable sheaves for thecables, etc.; having also extending from its front end a doorlatch-keeper (acting with the door latches and control as an automaticlock) formed in a doubly displaceable crank 66 to which the cable I09from the contact-unit is attached.

The terms energy storing motive-means or inherently energizedmotive-means are intended to define motive-means which by positioningare put into condition to deliver energy for motivation of the door; asby the deflection of a spring, the raising of a weight, or thepositioning of the door itself to move by its own weight. A motive-meansto which the motivating energy is delivered as consumed, such as anelectric motor, is not regarded as energy storing motive-means orinherently energized motive-means in the sense in which used. here.

Contact-unit The box I is water-proof, sealed at the top by diaphragml0, preferably of rubber, bound all around to the flanges i by bolts 120the downward heads of which are imbedded in concrete set around the box,and the threaded upward ends of which take nuts set down on bindingstrips l2a and binding plates I212. The diaphragm Ill is raised on themiddle longitudinal line to the same extent above the level of the sidebinding strips lZa as it becomes depressed below that level under thevehicle-wheel. Thus the diaphragm is not subject to stretching inoperation. The binding plates I21) prevent depression and stretching ofthe diaphragm in the area that is close up to the binding ends.

Base-lugs 4 are fastened to the bottom of the box. Links I! are mountedpivotally, as at I 8, to respective base-lugs 4, and at Hi to connectingbar 5 and to links I, which links I are pivotally mounted at I4 to abearing-bar I3. Bearing-bar I3 is confined to movement vertically byarms 9, pivoting in its ends, and pivotally mounted on the ends of thebox I' at II.

A clevis 8 is attached pivotally to an extension of one of the links I,designated I, and to this clevis a fastening is made by cable I09, thiscable I09 extending into the garage through the pipe or hose H0, whereit extends upward and over a sheave I39 on wall-bracket 49 to the doublydisplaceable crank 66 that extends from the front end of the overheadmechanism.

A packing-pipe I5 occupies a hole in box I,

end encloses a packing-gland through which cable I09 passes from the boxto the pipe or hose IIO.

The packing-pipe, with the cable through it, is filled withpacking-material, and plugs, drilled to fit the cable and slid onto thecable, are driven into both ends. A nut inside the box on the threadedouter end of the packing-pipe forms a flange which confines agasket-ring I 9 against the wall of the box to make the exit-hole forthe pipeconnection water-proof.

A pipe-coupling is run up tight on the thread of the packing-pipe thatextends outside the box, so that, at the time of installing, the wholepacking-gland turns frictionally on the box-wall with the turning of thecoupling in threading it onto the pipe or hose H0.

The packing-gland keeps water out of the pipe or hose H in case ofdamage to the diaphragm I0.

Spring 0, attached between one of the base-lugs 4 and the connecting-bar5, normally tends to bring one end of connecting-bar 5 against anendwall of the box 2, and the length of this end of connecting bar 5determines the angular position taken by the supporting links I and I1when bearing-bar I3 is in upward position, in which angular position oflinks I and I! the pivots I6 are cit-center from a straight line betweenrespective pivots I4 and I8, so that a sufficient load on bearing-bar I3will depress it vertically against the resistance of the spring 6.

The farther the pivots I6 are thus oif-center, the weaker is theresistance of spring 6 to the load, and the lighter is the load requiredto depress the bearing-bar I3.

To adjust this resistance, a bolt with washers 5 under its head is putthrough a hole in that part of the end of connecting-bar 5 which isformed at a right angle to its main length, so that the head of the boltmakes the contact with the inside end-Wall of the box, washers addedunder the bolt-head, or taken away, making the adjustment of theeffective length of the connecting-bar 5.

The height of the base-lugs 4, the depth of section of connecting-bar 5,and the diameter of bearing-bar I3, are so related that when therequired operable depression of the bearing-bar I3 occurs, the bar I3comes to rest on the connecting-bar 5, at the same time as the lattercomes to rest on the tops of the base-lugs 4, which have a solid rest onthe floor of the box, supported in turn by the concrete foundationbelow.

The arrangement described provides a means of translating a downwardmovement of bearing-bar I3 under the weight; of a vehicle-wheel, into anendwise pull on cable I09, by the displacement of link I from asubstantially vertical position to a slanting position in which its endto which clevis 8 is attached moves away from the point of entry of thecable at the packing-gland. This pull is uniform however far to one sideor other of the exposed surface of the diaphragm the weight of thevehicle is applied.

Overhead mechanism The front end of the frame 40 of the overheadmechanism is fastened to the lintel of the doorway, and the rear end ofthe frame 40 is suspended from the ceiling of the garage by bracket 95the length and angles of which are adjusted at time of installing.

A track 45 is held at its ends in respective sockets formed inair-cushion end-brackets I30 and I3I. This track, preferably rectangularto control the members thereon, carries a yoke 48 and a shuttle 50, eachcored out to fit the track, and arranged to slide thereon.

Two eyes in the yoke receive pivotal ends of round door-drive rods 21,one rod extending to each door, where its pivotal end engages in thehole of an eye-bolt 28 put through the door.

Pivotal ends of the rods are made by turning the rod to a right angle.

The eye-bolts 28 in the doors have nuts 29 at both faces of the door,inside and outside, by which adjustment may be made to allow for warp indoors, or to bring a lap-strip of one door to slide over the other doorin reaching closed position, or to bring the doors into the preciselyrequired position when closed.

The distance at which the eye-bolt is located from the vertical edge ofdoor determines the angle at which the door will be positioned whenopen.

The yoke 48 has an upwardly extending boss 41 which acts as a bumperagainst the end-caps of the pistons of air-cushions.

The yoke 48 has a lug 49 extending on one side, upon which thearrow-hook 44 catches as shown. The stem 44 of the arrow-hook is a tube,and through it cable I02 from the door-closing weight passes, this cableterminating at knob I03 beyond the head of the arrow-hook. Thearrow-hook is at all times under the stress of the weight 9|.

The back of the head 44 of the arrow-hook is turned concave, and theconcavity fits a boss 49' (Fig. 4) on the lug 49, which holds thearrowhook to the lug except when unclutched or disengaged as describedunder the heading Operation.

The use of this arrow-hook for clutching will be recognized as apiece ofdesign which in mechanics is called daring, since there is no positivemeans of keeping it confined to the lug 49 other than gravity andfriction applied by the bearing of the weight 9| through the cable I02.

But dependability, proven in use through the fact that gravity does notfail, warrants the use of this extremely simple invention for a clutch.

This arrow-hook has a tendency to revolve, a little at a time, so thatit does not always come to rest (in the fulcrum-block 4I laterdescribed) with precisely the same point directly upward as when it leftthe fulcrum-block in being pulled away with th yoke. This may be due totwisting in the cable I02 in the freeing of stresses within the cable,or to a roll on the lug 49 if the engagement of the head of thearrow-hook 44 does not always occur directly on the center-line of theboss 49.

The arrow-hook therefore is circular in the design of its parts so thatin any and all revolved positions it is effective in the same way.

The cable I00 from the other weight, for dooropening, is made fast tothe shuttlebody belo the track.

A cross-ridge 50' extends downwardly from the shuttle body forengagement by the shuttlelatch 6,PiV0t6d on cross-rod 5'! and held normally upward by the spring 6| attached between the extension fill of theshuttle-latch and the adjacent air-cushion bracket I30.

A protective latch 43 also pivots on cross-rod 5'! and has acounterweighting tail 43' as a gravity means to hold the latching endnormally upward to engage with the body of the shuttle in case theshuttle-latch 60 should have an inadequate hold and let go.

When the shuttle is held by the shuttle-latch Bl], the latching end oflatch 43 is clear of the body of the shuttle, so that the latch 43 isnormally free of stress other than the weight of its tail.

The end of the yoke-body that comes into contact with the shuttleextends downward at 43" to line up with the under face of the shuttlebody. so that, when the shuttle is in contact with the yoke, the shuttleand yoke are mutually preventive of latching, the shuttle preventing thelatch 24 (described in next paragraph) from engaging the yoke, and thuspermitting of hand-operation in the re-setting work later described, andthe yoke preventing the engagement of the protective I latch 43 and thusavoiding interference with the automatic opening operation laterdescribed.

Yoke-latch 24 pivots by the journals of its cross-body in the flanges ofthe channel-frame 40, and its latch end 24, which engages the yoke whenthe latter is drawn fully forward, and which thus holds the doors inopen position, is held normally upward by the counterweight of the tail24" extending from. the cross-body.

Cam-lever 25 pivots at 59 and is driven by pushrod I31, (preferably ofaluminum since part of its weight is added to the weight of piston-rod II8, later described as counterbalanced by the weight of the pistonwithin the cylinder), this pushrod I31 being pivotally engaged in theupper end of the cam-lever 25.

. under friction due to the bearing of the closing weight, and a highlyaccentuated friction when the door is subject to wind pressure, offers ahigh resistance to actuation. The spring I I6 must be relatively weak,for it must contribute as little as possible to the resistances opposingthe closing-weight in order that the mass of the closing weight and theeffort required to re-set it may not be unduly increased.

Accordingly the upper position of the cam-lever 25 travels through arelatively long distance cor responding to the distance by which thepush-rod I3! is moved by the relatively weak spring, and the cam-portionof the cam-lever 25 has a relatively short travel, and this drives thetail 24" of the yoke latch 24 a longer distance upward than thelatch-end 24' travels downward to release the yoke, inproportion asthese ends 24' and 24" of the yoke-latch extend from the yoke-latchpivot.

Thus there is obtained a relatively strong drive to actuate thereleaseof the yoke-latch 24 taken from a relatively weak spring.

The rearward .end of push-rod I3! is turned to form a short length 31 ata right angle, and upon this the piston-rod latch 52 may engage, thisshort length 31 being introduced through a hole in the piston-rod H8,and its position held by cotter-pins either side of the piston-rod.

This short length 31 extends further beyond the piston-rod I I8 for themounting of the spring I I6 noted below, interconnecting between theaircushion piston-rods.

The point at which the short right-angle end 3! of the push-rod I31 goesthrough the pistonrod II 8 is such as to give clearance of about an inchbeyond the point at which latch 52 engages it, so that the engagementoccurs even if doors do not reach fully closed position within the inchor so of tolerance.

The air-cushion dash-pot pistons are of conventional design, each havinga leather I22 sealing compression and pressed against the interior ofthe cylinder by expansion spring I23 within the leather.

This pressure by the expansion spring serves the purpose of insuringcompression in all temperatures that affect the pliability of theleather, and at all stages of wear, and in the case of the rearwardair-cushion I20 serves the purpose of slowing down the movement ofpiston lengthwise of the cylinder against the pull of spring I I6.

The leather is kept live by a charge of neatsfoot oil contained in thecylinder.

The piston-rods are tubular, capped air-tight at the pistons, and of alight material, preferably aluminum, and with preferably an ironcap oneach to take the bumping by the boss 41.

The design thus is made to provide that at the fully drawn out positionof the piston-rod the outward extreme of the rod is counterbalanced bythe weight of the piston within the cylinder and does not sag downwardto bind and prevent a full outward pull by a spring of a strength thatis desired at a minimum to allow of the lightest possible motive-weights90 and 9| which must operate against it, as well as against friction,etc.

Such a spring is that designated I I6; which interconnects between thetwo piston-rods H8 and I I9,being fastened to each by a cotter-pin insmall rods put through the piston-rods at right-angles,

one of these being the extension 31 of push-rod I3'I, already noted.

Each air-cushion dash-pot I20 and HI has in its bracket at, the endfarther from that traversed by its piston-rod a hole I33 ofpredetermined size to allow escape of air under compression at a ratewhich permits of terminating the respective movements of doors atopening and at closing at a desired rate of speed.

A fulcrumblock 4| is fastened to thechannelframe 40, and it has abel1-shaped or conical interior hole through it terminating at its rearside in a hole large enough to admit the stem 44' of arrow-hook 44. Therearward position of the arrow-hook is limited by the bearing of itsknob 44" against the fulcrum-block at the larger end of the conicalhole.

Rearward of the fulcrum-block, a dual cam or trigger 42 pivots at 56 inthe flange of the channel-frame 49. The two fingers of this trigger arenormally held in substantially horizontal relation by spring 64 attachedbetween a crank-extension 42 of the trigger 42 and the flange of thechannelframe. 1

In a hole in the extension 42 of trigger 42, the pivotal end (bent at aright angle) of a round pull-rod 65 is introduced, so that a forwardpull by the pull-rod 65 brings the forward finger of the trigger 42upward to lift the piston-latch 52, and brings the rearward fingerdownward to depress the stem 44' of the arrow-hook.

The stem 44 on being depressed assumes a downward slanting positionbehind the fulcrumblock, in which position it depresses the extension ofshuttle-latch 60, this extension 60 being somewhat rearward of thetrigger 42. The trigger 42 at its rearward finger is not brought farenough downward to depress the shuttlelatch 60, so that theshuttle-latch is depressed only when the stem 44 is present through thefulcrum-block. A tolerance of extra length is provided in the stem 44 sothat if doors do not reach a fully closed position to bring the knob 44"into contact with the fulcrum-block, the depression of the shuttle-latchwill still be obtained.

The forward end of pull-rod is formed into an eye engagingtransmission-arm 62, which is pivoted at 63.

A doubly displaceable crank 66 pivots at 61, and has two extensions withlugs 66' and 66 unequally distant from its pivot, both normally incontact with transmission-arm 62, that lug 66 which is nearest the pivot63 being the shorter distance from the pivot 61, and that lug 06 whichis farther from the pivot 63 being the farther from the pivot 61, thearrangement being such that a uniform displacement sidewise of thedoubly displaceable crank 66, whether to the left or right (according towhich side of garage cable I09 comes from) will apply a uniform movementto the transmission-arm 62, the pull-rod 65, and the trigger 42.

To a pin 68 pivotal in the end of the doubly displaceable crank 66 thatextends through a slot in the front end bracket of the frame 40, thecable I09 from the contact-unit in runway is attached, and, ininstalling, this cable I09 may be brought from the left wall or theright, whichever is found the more suitable according to conditions,whether or not the weights are placed at the same wall.

Cable I09, in the length extending at the wall upward from the pipe orhose III) to the sheave I39, has a hand-ring I33 tied to it, to affordthe same effect in operation by a hand-pull as would be obtained by awheel-depression at contactunit.

There is also a turn-buckle I34 set in the cable I09, to affordconvenient means of taking up the cable to the length necessary tosecure the desired effectiveness in pull from the contact-unit.

In the extreme frontal end of the doubly displaceable crank66 is formeda keeper-recess ID with slanting sides left and right of the interior.In the sill there is a keeper-notch 10. These keeper-recess and notchcavities I0 and I0 are engageable by the latches I5I pivotally attachedto the door and arranged to hold the door locked when so engaged} Thelatches I 5| by gravity, normally take positions to engage thekeeperrecess and keeper-notch I0 and 10f respectively, when door isbrought to closed position. Rods I56 connect between latches I5I and alifter I53, which is the indoors element of a door-lock of conventionaltype requiring a key for release from outside.

Cable I02, from door-closing weight 9|, passes over a sheave in ahousing on weight-bracket 49, enters the channel-frame 40 through a slotin flange, and passes around a sheave wheel in housing BI, thencerearward to the sheave in housing 82, thence forward to its fastening ithe knob I93 at the arrow-hook 44.

Cable I00 from door-opening weight 90, passes over a sheave in a housingon weight-bracket 49, enters the channel-frame 40 through a slot inflange, and passes around a sheave-wheel in housing 80, thence rearwardto its fastening in the shuttle already noted.

These cables may enter the channel-frame from either side, according tothe wall of garage selected for placementof the weights.

A beveled bottom 80 is put on doors to prevent snow from being raked inat closing after being swept outward by the doors in opening.

Operation The door-operator is designed to operate in the main fromdepression of mechanism within the contact-unit to close the doors whenthe user drives away from the garage, and to open the doors when hedrives back.

It is designed to be re-set by the manual operation of the doors whenthe user, having alighted from the vehicle, closes the doors, and when,in going to get the vehicle out of the garage, he opens the doors.

The automatic service is had when the user is in the vehicle undermovement outside the garage, and the manual operations occur when theuser is on his feet to conveniently perform them.

Assuming that the position of the mechanism is that taken immediatelyafter a door-opening movement under action of weight 90 has been had,the user having driven into the garage, the user alights from thevehicle and pulls one of the doors. closed by hand. The other doorfollows, through interconnection of drive-arms 21 at yoke 48.

In this hand-operation the yoke 48 is driven rearward on the track 45,and it drives shuttle 50 also rearward, so that the weight 90, connectedto the shuttle by the cable I00 is brought into upward position. Theshuttle becomes engaged by the shuttle-latch 60 when the doors arebrought to fully closed position, thus holding the weight 90 with energystored by its position.

At the same time as the shuttle-latch engages the shuttle, the yokereaches a position in which it is engaged by the arrow-hook 44, the headof the arrow-hook being forced upward by the lug 49 on yoke 48 as itapproaches, and the arrowhook snapping back to horizontal and bringingits concavity to engage on the boss 49 of lug 49-the horizontal positionbeing automatically taken by the arrow-hook because the stress of weight90 is applied horizontally at the arrowhook by the cable I02.

Thus the door-closing weight 9I becomes engaged on the yoke 48 throughcable I02 and arrow-hook 44 at the termination of the hand-operation ofclosing the doors, and the weight 9I thus applies its bearing to holdthe doors closed, continually, until the time when the arrow-hook isdetached from the yoke at the moment of initiating an automatic openinglater described.

The latches I5I engage with the keepers I0 and I0 when doors are thuspulled closed, and the doors are thus locked, although of course thedoors may be additionally locked by bolts or otherwise if desired. It issufficient that one of the doors only be locked as that bearing thelatches I5I, and this is preferably the door that laps over the other onthe outside. The locking of one door holds the other also, through theinterconnection of drive-arms and yoke 48.

In the hand-operation of re-opening the doors, after disengaging thelock by key or otherwise in the conventional manner, one door is movedby hand to fully open position, the other following throughinterconnection of drive-arms 21 and yoke 48. This pulls the arrow-hook44 forward with the yoke, and raises the weight 9| by cable I02, thusstoring energy by the position of the weight. At this fully openposition of doors the latch 24 engages the yoke, and holds the doors inopen position against the normal closing tendency of the weight 9|.

At the beginning of the forward movement of yoke 48, in hand opening ofdoors, the protective latch 43 was cleared by the yoke, leaving itsengaging end to move upward under gravity of its tail 43 to prevent anyprecipitate drop of the weight 90, in case of an inadequate hold by theshuttle-latch 60.

Upon the vehicle being driven out of the garage, its first wheel on oneside depresses mechanism in contact-unit in runway effecting a pull oncable 500, and displacement of members 66, 62, and 85 to bring thetrigger 42 into substantially vertical position in which the lower camfinger has no effect in the absence of arrow-hook stem 44', while theupper finger is eifective in lifting piston-rod latch 52. The piston-rodthus released moves slowly forward out of the cylinder at a speeddetermined by the pull of spring ||6 against friction of the leather I22in the cylinder, set up by the expansion spring I23. The pushrod I31,moved forward by the piston-rod 8, drives cam-lever 25 to raise the tail24 of the yoke-latch, and to disengage the latch-end 24' from the yoke,releasing the doors to close under the bearing of closing-weight 9|applied through cable I02, arrow-hook 44, yoke 48, and drivearms 21.

The period of time taken for the movement of piston-rod I I8 out of thecylinder I20 affords time for the vehicle in backing out through thedoorway to get fully clear of door-range before the doors start toclose. This is of value where the contact-unit must be set within acar's length of doors, as in the case of a curved approach, or aninstallation in a sidewalk.

This period of time is determined by the expansion strength of springI23 inside the leather I22, against the strength of spring B which movesthe piston.

The second wheel on the same side of vehicle upon passing over thecontact-unit depresses the mechanism therein, resulting in a movement ofparts up to the raising of the piston-latch 52, the same as when thefirst wheel passed over the contact-unit. But this movement of parts iswithout effect, since the parts designed to be set into action by suchmovement have already been set into action.

Thus the device operates whether one or both wheels of the car are sodriven as to engage it, and there is time for the second wheel to passineffectively over the contact-unit, not only in the pe riod of drawingout of the air-cylinder piston, but in the time taken for doors to reacha substantially closed position, which time is extended by the checkingeffect of the air-compression when the boss 41 of yoke 48 comes intocontact with the piston-rod H8, and retards the closing movement ofdoors to the speed allowed by the escape of air through the hole ofpredetermined size in the rearward bracket of air-cushion I20.

Upon the doors reaching fully closed position under pull of the weight9|, the latches |5| engage keepers I0 and I0, and the doors becomeautomatically locked.

At closed position of doors the stem 44' of arrow-hook is broughtthrough the hole of the fulcrum-block 4| to a position in which its rearend is below the trigger 42.

A pull by cable I09 from the contact-unit or from hand-ring I33 will nowbe effective to bring the rearward finger of trigger 42 to depress thestem 44' of arrow-hook while the forward finger of trigger 42 effects agesture of the latch 52, ineffective to release push-rod extension 31and. piston-rod 8, since the section 31 is normally about an inchrearward of engagement by the latch 52 when doors are in fully closedposition.

Even if this piston were released, as would occur if the vehicle weredriven so slowly that the opening action of doors was under way beforethe second wheel of car passed over the contact-unit, it would have noessential effect, since the doors upon opening will be prevented fromlatching in that position due to the presence of shuttle 50 in contactwith the yoke 48, so that any forward movement of piston H9 and push-rodI31 would have no essential (unlatching) value, and would be reversedupon hand-closing of doors in re-setting.

The pull of cable I09, occurring from depression of contact-unit uponthe return of the vehicle to enter the garage, displaces doublydisplaceable crank 86 sidewise, raising the upper latch |5| on a slantedside of the interior of keeper-recess I0, which raises also the lowerlatch |5| from the keeper-notch I0, thus unlocking the doors, while awing to one side of the keeper-recess I0 holds the latches thus unlockedthroughout the movement of the doubly displaceable crank 66 to the pointof initiating the dooropening action.

The displacement of crank 68, moves transmission arm 62 and pull rod 65to bring the rear finger of trigger 42 downward to depress the rear endof stem 44' of arrow-hook, which in turn depresses the extension 60' ofshuttle-latch, releas ing the shuttle; and in the same movement ofarrow-hook its head is levered upward through the fulcrum-block clear ofits engagement with the yoke.

Shuttle 50, under pull of the door-opening weight 90 through cable I00pushes yoke 48 forward to open the doors, and towards the termination ofthe opening movement, bumper 41 meets piston H9 of air-cushion |2| tocheck the speed r of the action. at termination.

The operation described, completed with the doors in open position afteran automatic opening action, brings the mechanism back to the. positionassumed at the commencement of this outline of operation.

Broadly applicable to door-types.

It is apparent that my invention may be applied to doors of types otherthan that illustrated, such as a single swing door, a door slidinghorizontally, or a door having a part moving vertically, since thedesign is fundamentally one that functions with a sliding memberconnected to a door.

I claim:

1. In combination, a door and means for operating the door comprising aslide, a sliding member on the slide to operate the door in onedirection, another sliding member on the slide to opcrate the door inthe other direction, means for setting and holding the slidingmembers inoperative positions,'and motive means connected to the sliding membersto open and close the door respectively, and means for actuating theholding means to release the sliding members to operate. 2. Incombination, a door and means for operating the door comprising a doorclosing motive means and a door opening motive means, a slide, a slidingmember on the slide connected to the door and to the motive means forclosing the door, another sliding member on the slide connected to thedoor opening motive means, means for setting and holding the slidingmembers and the respective motive means in operative position, and meansfor actuating the holding means to release first the sliding memberconnected to the door closing motive means, and afterward the slidingmember connected to the door opening motive ,means to bear against thefirst named sliding member to open the door.

In combination, a door and means for operating the door comprising twodoor motive means one to move the door in a given direction and theother to move the door in the opposite direction, a slide, a slidingmember on the slide connected to the door and to the first named motivemeans, another sliding member on the slide connected to the other motivemeans, means for setting and holding the sliding members and therespective motive means in operative positions, and means for actuatingthe holding means to release first the first named sliding member andits connected motive means to drive the door in one direction, andafterward the other sliding member and its connected motive means tobear against the first named sliding member and drive the door in theopposite direction.

A door driving mechanism comprising a member connected to a door, aclutching means engageable with the said member and connected to adoor-closing motive means, a traveler connected to a door-opening motivemeans and arranged to come into contact with the said member to drivethe door open, and holding means for the traveler, and a trigger torelease the said holding means and to disengage the said clutchingmeans. I

5. A door, a motive means to close the door, another motive means toopen the door, a clutch, a

member connected to the door bearing one element of the clutch, a memberconnected to the door-closing motive means bearing the other element ofthe clutch, means for engaging the clutch to bring the door-closingmotive means to bear on the door, and means for disengaging the clutchto remove the bearing of the door-closing motive means when thedoor-opening motive means is brought into action.

A door-operator, comprising a door, a door closing motive means, adoor-opening motive means, a track, two members slidable on the track,one of said members connected to the door and being engageable with aclutching means connected to the door-closing motive means, the other ofsaid members having the door-opening motive means fastened to it,latching means for the said members, means for unlatching the saidmembers to set into action the motive means required for appropriateoperation of the door.

'7. In a door-operator a traveler connected to a door and engageable bya door-closing motive means, another traveler connected to a dooropeningmotive means, means for associating the travelers into contact with eachother, a latch for each traveler to prevent it and its engaged motive.means from operating the door, and means for preventing the engagementof either latch when the travelers are in contact.

8. In a door-operator, in combination, a door, an energy storing motivemeans, a movable element connected to the energy storing motive means, atraveler connected to the door and arranged to contact the movableelement, a latch for the said movable element to hold the motive meansin energy-stored position, and a protective latch for the same movableelement adapted to engage the latter and to hold the motive means inenergy-stored position, in case of failure of the first mentioned latch,the traveler connected to the door being arranged to prevent theengagement of the protective latch when said traveler is in contact withthe movable element.

9. In a door-operator an energy-storing motive means connected to a doorholding means for the motive means, and releasing means for the hoidingmeans, said releasing means comprising a relatively weak spring, and atransmitter in contact with the holding means, the spring beingconnected to the transmitter and arranged to apply a relatively longdrive upon the latter, the transmitter being arranged to transmit to theholding means a relatively strong drive through a relatively shortmovement.

0. In a door-operator, a door, a mechanism for moving the door, a meansfor motivation of the door connected to the mechanism, actuating meansfor the inception of motivation of doormovement, and a control meanscombining in one element a time-device and a cushioning device arrangedto postpone for a period of time the actuation for inception of doormovement, and to cushion the termination of the movement so incepted.

A door, a door driving mechanism and motive means therefor, and a clutchbetween the motive means and the door comprising a latching elementconnected to the motive means and a member connected to the door uponwhich the latching element engages, the latching element comprising astem with a circular latch head fixed on it having a dish-like area ofwhich a central area is occupied by the stem, the dish-like area beingadapted to contact and engage upon the door-connected member, thisengagement being made by a sector comprising a part of the dishlikearea, and by any sector thereof without determination of the sector atwhich the engagement may occur and Without resort to control means tohold the latching element to bring the said contact into any givensector of the dish-like area.

1 A door, a door driving mechanism and motive means therefor, and aclutch for engaging the motive means to the door comprising a stem witha clutch head thereon to engage a member connected to the door, afulcrum member with a hole for the stem, a boss on the stem to contactthe fulcrum member and limit the position of the clutch head, and aflexible member attached to the stem and connecting to the motive meansarranged to so apply the bearing of the motive means upon the stem as tocontrol the latter when in the fulcrum member to hold a position inwhich it will engage the clutch head onto the'member connected to thedoor when the latter is brought within effective clutching range of theclutch head.

. 13. In combination, a door, and means for operating the doorcomprising motive means for closing and opening the door, two engagingmeans, connecting means connecting the motive means to the respectiveengaging means, a traveler on a slide and connected to the door adaptedto be engaged by the engaging means respectively, and means for bringingeach engaging means separately into engagement with the traveler, oneengaging means being on the same slide as the traveler, and the otherengaging means being sitioned to engage the traveler when the latter isbrought into appropriate range, this last named engaging means beingheld in position for such engagement by the stress of the motive meansapplied through the connecting means by which it is connected to themotive means.

14. In combination, a door and means for operating the door comprisingmotive means for closing and opening the door, two engaging meansconnected to the motive means, a traveler connected to the door adaptedto be engaged by the engaging means respectively, and means for engagingeach engaging means separately upon the traveler, one engaging means todrive the traveler in a given direction to close the door, and the otherengaging means to drive the traveler in the opposite direction to openthe door and a single vehicle-contact control means for the two engagingmeans, two cushioning means, one to yieldingly terminate the closingmovement of the door, and the other to yieldingly terminate the openingmovement of the door, and an interconnection between the two cushioningmeans arranged to set one of the cushioning means for cushioning doormovement in one direction upon the other cushioning means acting tocushion movement of door in the other direction.

15. A door-operator comprising a door, a dooropening weight, and adoor-closing weight, a sliding member on a track connected to the door,a clutch of two elements one on the said sliding member and the otherconnected to the doorclosing weight, a shuttle on the track connected tothe door-opening weight, means to re-set the opening weight in upperposition by manual closing of the door, and latching means for theshuttle to hold the opening weight when so reset, means to re-set theclosing weight in upper position by manual opening of the door, andlatching means for the sliding member to hold the closing weight when sore-set, and to hold the door open, latch releasing means for the lastnamed latching means combined with a dash-pot having a latchedpiston-rod, means for moving the piston-rod outwardly to actuate thesaid latch releasing means, a bumper on the sliding member to engage thepiston-rod and cushion the closing of the door, another dash-pot withpiston arranged to engage the same bumper to cushion the opening of thedoor, and a releasing trigger to selectively unlatch the latchedpistonrod when door is open, and to unclutch the clutch and unlatch theshuttle when door is closed.

16. A door-operator comprising a door, a dooroperating mechanism, motivemeans to close and open the door, and a box with a pliant covercontaining a wheel-contact device located in the pathway of approach tothe door, said wheel contact device comprising a depressible memberunder the pliant cover supported from the base of the box by a series oflinkages each pivoting on the base and on the depressible member, and

pivotally jointed midway between the base and the depressible member,the midway joint pivots engaging in a connecting bar by which thecorresponding parts of the several linkages of the series are held inuniformly parallel relation respectively and the depressible member isheld parallel with the base of the box and with the connecting bar, anextension on the connecting bar in contact with one end of the box, aspring on the connecting bar adapted to keep the said extension normallyin contact with the end of the box and to recover the connecting bar andits extension into such contact after depression of the contact member,the said extension being of such length that the midway pivots of therespective linkages are normally held away from a straight line betweenthe respective pivots at the base below and at the depressible memberabove, adjustment means on the said extension to vary the degree bywhich the said midway pivots are held away from such a straight linerelation with the respective pivots at the base and at the depressiblemember, and to bring the said linkages normally into almost verticalpositions of support of the depressible member,

from which almost vertical positions of the links a a depression of thedepressible member moves the links to progressively more acute angularrelations with the connecting bar, driving the connecting bar and itsextension against resistance by the spring away from the end of the box,the said spring being so designed that its increase in resistance underdeflection as the depression of the depressible member progresses ismore than offset by progressively stronger angles of attack against itassumed by the linkages so that resistance to depression at thedepressible member falls off after the initial resistance has beenovercome, a cable attached to one of the linkages and extending to thesaid door-operating mechanism arranged to communicate movement from thelinkage, resulting from the depressive operation of the depressiblemember, to the said dooroperating mechanism to control the latter.

17. A door, an operator therefor, and a control means for the operatorlocated in the path of a vehicle, said control means including a vehiclecontact-member supported by linkages that assume varying angularrelations to a spring connection throughout the operable movement of thecontact-member, the angular relation when the contact-member is at aposition corresponding to the beginning of operable movement affording amaximum of resistance by the spring, the spring resistance falling offafter said maximum has been overcome, a cover of pliant material for thecontrol-means arranged to form a yieldingly transmitting cover thereforand a gasket seal around its edges, the pliant cover being so mounted asto prevent stretching in its yielding movement.

FREDERICK A. PURDY.

